Cost of food skyrocketing - $9 for a pound of bacon?

[spiderdust]

Now...gas....sheesh, it goes up every time I've been at the pump....$3.59 was the last I recall, but I'm due for a tank tomorrow or Wednesday and I'm almost afraid to look. We go to Disneyland next month and I'm fairly sure California is going to be sitting at $4 a gallon.

It's already $4.03/gal here.

 

[smiller]

a few think tanks bellieve this may actually have a good effect in that we may begin to grow cotton again here in the states and bring back a bit of the textile manufacturing. It's not going to be like the post ww2 era but hey if some small joe wants to start growing his own cotton and making tee shirts here. I'd buy

I would love to buy USA-made cotton shirts!

And, I do love me some bacon. I pay $3.99/pkg at Trader Joe's (not sure on the size, but it's plenty big - 12-15 slices) or I buy local. The taste and quality is SO worth the extra cost!

I try to buy local, in-season, sustainable, and organic as much as possible. My meat costs have not increased in the past 3+ years. Am I just lucky, or is it because I buy local and there aren't as many determining cost increase factors?

 

[ChisJo]

I just read an article that we should expect grocery prices to jump about 30% in the next year...Wish my salary would go up 30% this year.

Food is the one thing that has inflated so dramatically over the years...its sad really. We don't buy bacon, but even the cost of veggies and fruit...yikes!

 

[SandrA9810]

Food prices is the one thing I don't miss about Florida. It was expensive there for produce.

There's an Asian couple that go to the local flea markets that I buy nearly all my fresh greens from. They have their own farm and pick the food just before going to the flea markets.
I've noticed that some of the Mexican sellers just buy produce in bulk for cheaper and then sell it per pound a bit cheaper than the grocery store. But I'm starting to not like the taste of mass produced stuff.

But because the Asians like their specialty greens like bok choy and chinese broccoli, their stuff is all home grown and sold in bundles for a dollar. For a dollar each that's usually enough for a week I get:
Spinach
broccoli
chinese broccoli
carrots
sweet potatoes
bok choy
red or romaine lettuce
orange lemons (crossed bred tree)
and come summer time they're going to grow tomatoes.

As for still at the grocery store, 75 cents to a dollar a pound for bananas (in florida it was always 49 cents or cheaper), $1.50 to $2.50 for tomatoes ($2.50 was the usual sale price for tomatoes on the vine in florida), and about a $1 a pound for apples.

I'm trying hard to cut out meat as well, I go for the 93/7 or higher for ground beef and usually pay about $4 per pound, then divide it at home into 4 oz baggies. If I make cheese burgers we each get 4oz, if it's mixed into the meal like pasta I only use one.

Pork and chicken are the two meats I'm trying to stick mostly with. A couple weeks ago, I got huge chicken breasts (bone-in) for 99 cents a pound, each piece is about a pound, so 50 cents each for a meal isn't bad. And the next time the pork loins go on sale B1G1, I'm stocking up, but that's about a $1.50 per serving.

Milk however is through the roof, $3.04 for a gallon of 2%. Eggs are a $1.64 for a dozen.

 

[Pastamom]

Yes Prices have gone up here too.
3.59 for a lb of Romaine lettuce and the lettuce had brown spots
3.00 for a lb of butter - Walmart brand - 4+ for a name brand
4.00 for a lb of bacon
3.49 for a gallon of 2% milk

Just paid $3.53 for a gallon of gas...

BTW DS 11 thinks bacon is a food group all it's own

 

[nunzia]

I just read an article that we should expect grocery prices to jump about 30% in the next year...Wish my salary would go up 30% this year.

Food is the one thing that has inflated so dramatically over the years...its sad really. We don't buy bacon, but even the cost of veggies and fruit...yikes!

...and what is funny is that the gov't doesn't count the cost of food or energy in their cost of living analysis..whaaaatt???!!

Avocados are still reasonable here..usually 2 for a dollar, sometimes 4 depending on how ripe they are.

Are avocados easy to grow? How do you flash freeze strawberries? Just take off the top and throw them in a bag?

 

[ConnieB]

...and what is funny is that the gov't doesn't count the cost of food or energy in their cost of living analysis..whaaaatt???!!

Avocados are still reasonable here..usually 2 for a dollar, sometimes 4 depending on how ripe they are.

Are avocados easy to grow? How do you flash freeze strawberries? Just take off the top and throw them in a bag?

When we flash freeze the strawberries, for some we just take the green stem part off and others we will slice a bit more (those usually are for dessert use where the whole ones are to throw in a smoothie)....then you spread them on a cookie sheet and stick in the freezer for an hour. Once they're individually frozen you can put them in freezer bags and they're easier to get just a few out. If you throw them in the bag to freeze they tend to become a big glob of berries that you have to either thaw (and thus use them all) or use a chisel to break off some, lol. Been there, done that.

You can flash freeze most any fruit....when nectarines and peaches finally get cheap we'll do them as well...same with melon, plums, mangos, etc. Bananas are cheap around here, but if we buy too many and they're starting to show signs of brown, I'll peel and flash freeze them as well. Not so good for straight eating after thawed, but works fine for smoothies and banana bread. Apples will freeze well but tend to change color even when we've tried using lemon juice or that chemical product to stop it....but my family eats apples every day so it's rare that they go bad around here and they're cheap most of the year so not a big deal for us.

 

[angierae]

Because of this thread I looked yesterday (I don't usually buy bacon, and when I do I buy platter bacon by the strip from my local small grocer because we can't eat a whole pound of bacon and we don't eat it often enough to separate and freeze, plus, well, I like the thicker cut bacon) but a package of low-sodium bacon was on sale 2/$6. I didn't go over by the main bacon display so I don't know what other prices were around.

 

[n2mm]

Our bacon in our area is only $5.99 a pound, but every week a different brand is on sale at our local grocery store for BOGO, so $3.00 a pound. I've not seen much change in prices in our area lately except veggies. While green peppers are 2.99 a pound, I can still buy a bag of them with 5 in the bag for 2.99 a bag -- granted they are generally misshapened, but work for me since I cut them up. Our gallon of milk is still below $3.00 too, while other areas seem to be more. I guess it helps living in a small town outside Wash. DC. I buy whats on sale each week, so not really feeling much of a change. I generally buy my bread from biglots for $1.20 a loaf - sunbeam and freeze it. I do alot of my staples shopping at walmart which is alot cheaper than any other store I can go to. And their brands are pretty good, but it's hit or miss. I still buy my meats at the grocery store depending on the sale. This week is boneless chicken breast for $1.99 a pound.

 

[Dawson's Mom]

We live near an Aunt Millies bakery outlet, I can get 100% whole wheat bread for .59 a loaf! This is usually 3.59 a loaf. The date is usually 2-4 days from the sell by date, but always fresh and good! I buy a ton, usually 20 loves and stock the deep freeze. Other things to buy there are bagels, english muffins, etc. So check and see if you have a bakery outler near you, it may be worth a drive. As far as other things, milk is about 2.50gal and gas is about 3.69. I'm with everyone too, we use way less meat of any kind. We usually buy chicken or ground turkey and freeze it into small packages. We eat tons of veggies now, I add them to pretty much everything

 

[angierae]

Almost every week, one of the grocery stores will have one brand or another of bread on sale for $1 a loaf. I tend to buy 5-6 at a time and freeze it. It's not always my preferred brand (Aunt Millie's) but that goes on sale often enough that I could just wait for them and buy a lot more (yay for having a second freezer) but usually I just buy whatever's on sale when my stock pile is getting low.

This week all I've had to buy so far is produce because I've got quite a bit stockpiled from sales+coupons. I'm going to have to stay on top of that with prices going up, though.

 

[jakoky]

Prices are crazy here too...Milk is almost 4.50 a gallon and gas is now $5.20(we are paying 1.30 a litre here)....As for bacon, usually at least one brand is on sale for $5 dollars each week, although we maybe eat bacon once a month so it isnt too big a deal for us... When i see all these threads that families are spending only 75 dollars a week, i just dont get it...We go thru almost $12 a week in just milk! With gas prices, it is my teenagers i feel sorry for, they are really complaining when they put gas in their tanks, and i think they are thinking twice before driving anywhere....Good thing minimum wage is finally going up here!

 

[OceanAnnie]

YUM!!!! Fresh blueberries are the BEST! I am considering planting some rasp and blackberry bushes, I'm just not sure it's something I want to plant because of the way they grow. We did have raspberries when I was growing up, they were so good!!! I want banana peppers as well but haven't seen any anywhere!! I'm hoping like crazy that they come in somewhere soon!! This is honestly my biggest garden ever, I usually only do some tomato plants and that's it.....



Avocado's are rarely under $1 each here, usually $1.25-2. So, we are also trying an avocado tree. We had a pit that we have sprouted, it's going to be replanted this week and hopefully it gives us some yummy avocados eventually. Until then I'll keep paying $1-2 each for them......
and gas...you are not going to like it when you get here, we are going to DL next week, gas near my house is currently $3.89 a gallon....I'm guessing it will be more in Anaheim......

I have done the exact same thing! I have saved a ton of avocado pits to plant. But I do have one that has sprouted to about knee high. I'm excited, even though I read somewhere it takes 4 years to produce.

 

[mombrontrent]

I'm just going to say that Americans are VERY spoiled when it comes to food prices and gas prices....from being on a lot of community boards etc over the years, and seeing lots of talk about groceries, etc, you guys have it far better than 90% of the world...not just the 3rd world!

In Canada, we've been paying $9+ for bacon for YEARS. It comes in 1/2 pound packages here...if I can find it for under $4 for one, I buy in bulk....otherwise we do without. Coupons are a joke here, "sales" mean about 10-25 cents off, not 50-90%....and it goes on and on....

The saddest part is, it isn't the farmers who are getting most of the money in either country...it's the middle-men...if you can find a good abbatoir, or make friends with farmers, it's not only much cheaper, the farmer gets ridiculously more of the money....

Where the heck in Canada do you live? I live in central Ontario (close to Toronto) and I've NEVER seen bacon that price. I buy the brand name bacon on sale for under $3 a pound all the time, I've even bought it for $1.99 a pound.

 

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

We live near an Aunt Millies bakery outlet, I can get 100% whole wheat bread for .59 a loaf! This is usually 3.59 a loaf. The date is usually 2-4 days from the sell by date, but always fresh and good! I buy a ton, usually 20 loves and stock the deep freeze. Other things to buy there are bagels, english muffins, etc. So check and see if you have a bakery outler near you, it may be worth a drive. As far as other things, milk is about 2.50gal and gas is about 3.69. I'm with everyone too, we use way less meat of any kind. We usually buy chicken or ground turkey and freeze it into small packages. We eat tons of veggies now, I add them to pretty much everything

I just came back from WD and I paid $4.87 for a gallon of milk including 4%tax.

 

[Colleen27]

The saddest part is, it isn't the farmers who are getting most of the money in either country...it's the middle-men...if you can find a good abbatoir, or make friends with farmers, it's not only much cheaper, the farmer gets ridiculously more of the money....

I have noticed the prices at the grocery store have gone up, but I don't mind for most things because it just makes it easier to justify shopping the farmers' markets and buying direct. I'm loving that our community now has an indoor, winter farmer's market (mostly pasta, dairy, eggs, herbs, jams/salsas, and a few greenhouse-grown veggies) and really looking forward to the big market starting up again for the season.

I think my garden is destined for yet another expansion, though. My freezer stores didn't last as long as I thought they would, so I need to put more up this season.

 

[wvjules]

I tried planting a dollar and it didn't grow a money tree.

 

[n2mm]

I tried planting a dollar and it didn't grow a money tree.

You probably didn't use the right fertilizer!!

 

[Bungle]

Prices are crazy here too...Milk is almost 4.50 a gallon and gas is now $5.20(we are paying 1.30 a litre here)....As for bacon, usually at least one brand is on sale for $5 dollars each week, although we maybe eat bacon once a month so it isnt too big a deal for us... When i see all these threads that families are spending only 75 dollars a week, i just dont get it...We go thru almost $12 a week in just milk! With gas prices, it is my teenagers i feel sorry for, they are really complaining when they put gas in their tanks, and i think they are thinking twice before driving anywhere....Good thing minimum wage is finally going up here!

Holy crap

Prices have gone up here too but I can get milk for 2.25 a gallon, bacon about $3/lb. I have to say though that it really depends on the store. The safeway here is so outrageous.

 

[emdav]

My 6 year old daughter was asking last night why we hadn't had bacon for a while. I told her that it was $6 a pound and I didn't feel like paying that much. Her response was to tell me that it was necessary to kill a pig and make it into bacon. Therefore, we should "respect the price." It made me laugh that she determined what a reasonable price for bacon should be based on the labor involved.